1995 All-Carroll Boys Lacrosse Team

June 01, 1995|By Glenn P. Graham

South Carroll's Dan Hughes was incorrectly identified in this photo that appeared in some editions yesterday.

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Troy Barnes, Liberty -- There have been more talented teams at Liberty in years past, but none got as far into the postseason as this year's team. The Lions, with a handful of inexperienced players and just one All-County first-team selection in senior midfielder Chris Cougnet, advanced to the region finals this season after the school's first postseason win. It came in the region semifinals, where the Lions (8-6) came away with a 13-10 win over Atholton in their typical, grind-it-out way. Despite being eliminated in the region finals against Oakland Mills, the Lions' program took a big step forward. At the team banquet following the season, players were already talking about next spring. That wasn't always the case at Liberty. "We ended up on a positive note and the boys are proud of what they did. You can see the kids wanting to go forward," said second-year coach Barnes. "I'm proud of the way our team conducted themselves, win or lose." The Lions won a lot of games they probably shouldn't have with their blue-collar style. There were other times when they were simply overmatched, but Barnes had a way of keeping them positive and prepared for the next challenge.

FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION

FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE

* Paul Binetti, Westminster, Sr., midfield -- Few players have earned more respect from opposing county coaches than Binetti did the past couple of seasons. The repeat first-team selection again provided the Owls with all the intangibles that often go unnoticed. When there was a face-off to be won, Binetti was there. "He was controlling 70 percent of the face-offs he took in most games," said Westminster coach Jim Peters. "In my 14 years, we had some really great [face-off men] and he's right there at the top. He's the closest thing you'll find to the early 60s, 60-minute midfielders -- he was a workhorse." The co-captain finished the season with six goals and 13 assists, but was responsible for many more goals with his ability to win draws.

* Chris Cougnet, Liberty, Sr., midfield -- The senior co-captain brought his "hate-to-lose" approach to the field with him every game and it was a big influence on the younger Lions. He finished the season with 17 goals and 10 assists and also worked hard defensively. "Chris is solid at both ends of the field," said Barnes. "He plays the solid defense, is a good checker and can also has two good hands. Right is his strong hand, but he also rolls left. He's very competitive and can't stand losing."

* John Eaton, South Carroll, Sr., attack -- The Cavaliers didn't have to look long this season to find their feeder. Eaton accepted the role and proved to be the perfect complement to leading goal-scorer Tom Luster and the rest of the Cavaliers, dishing out a school-record 41 assists and leading the county in points with 67 to make a serious run at Player of the Year honors. "It got to the point where goalies were thinking he was going to shoot and instead he'd find someone across the crease," said South Carroll coach Jeff Alisauckas. Eaton set single-game standards at South Carroll with a 12-point effort against Howard during the regular season.

* Ben Heslin, Westminster, Sr., defense -- Being the county's best take-away checkers wasn't the only asset Heslin brought to the Westminster defense. But it was the one that was most noticed. "He threw more checks at you in a second than anyone else in the county," said Westminster coach Jim Peters. "He went up against the county's best and picked their pockets." The 6-3 Heslin, a two-time, first-team selection who will next play at the Air Force Academy, also brought smarts to the playing field to go along with his aggressive ways. He was an outstanding position defender and great stick handler.

* Dan Hughes, South Carroll, Sr., midfield -- Hughes, Carroll's Player of the Year as a junior, followed that with another impressive season as the Cavaliers' mainstay at midfield. He would carry the ball up the field for South Carroll and also proved to be a fine finisher, scoring 32 goals and adding 11 assists to give the Cavs another valuable option to go along with their strong attack. "We had a couple of plays just for him," said Jeff Alisauckas. "He's a big lefty who had a real nice year for us offensively."